OR CORN CRAKE. 219 



coverts, and axillary feathers, orange brown ; the 

 quills a dull, reddish hair brown, darkest on the inner 

 webs ; the region of the eyes, auriculars, and sides of 

 the neck, are reddish wood brown, shaded into the 

 throat and breast, — the former of which is white, 

 tinted with grey, the latter yellowish brown ; the 

 centre of the belly is nearly white, shading gradually 

 to the sides and flanks, which are embellished with a 

 red orange, barred with hair brown, pink towards the 

 base ; legs and feet yellowish brown. This bird 

 migrates to Madeira and to Africa. Its varieties are 

 the Spotted Crake, or Spotted Gallinule, which is 

 also a summer visiter to the British shores : the 

 Little Crake, which is called Baillon's Crake, or 

 Gallinule, of British authors ; the upper parts of 

 which are delicately and most beautifully spotted with 

 pure white. This has been taken as far north as 

 Derbyshire." 



The last crake we have to enumerate, is the 

 Little Crake, spoken of above by Jardine {Gallinula 

 minuta). This bird is of plainer plumage than the 

 rest of the family, but in nidification and habits it is 

 very similar. 



Generic characters of Crex: bill short, strong at 

 the base ; culmen entering the plumage of the fore- 

 head, its outline slightly deflected to the tip ; maxilla 

 angulated ; nasal fossa broad ; nostrils pierced in the 

 membrane ; wings, at the carpal angle, armed with a 

 knob, or rudimentary spine, rather short, concave, 

 second or third quills longest; legs strong, naked for 



